General features
SoftWLC is a software Wi-Fi controller that provides a complex solution for organizing guest and service networks. SoftWLC software package combines Wi-Fi access points, access switches and routers manufactured by Eltex into a single product. The package allows configuring and maintaining networks and user services in accordance with a client's requirements.
Key features of SoftWLC
- Automated launching of access points
- Providing functions for monitoring of network elements: access points, access switches, routers
- Providing functions for network element individual control
- Providing functions for network element group control
- Providing functions for group policies, customer lists, individual/group shapers configuring and other service functions management
- Providing access points' firmware automatic update
- Providing Captive Portal authorization of Wi-Fi users with different identification methods: incoming SMS, outgoing SMS, voice call, Government Services, vouchers, preconfigured accounts of mass events participants
- Opportunity to create flexible portal scenarios with time or traffic limits for users. Paid scenarios are also available.
- Possibility of identification portal to flexibly work on schedule
- Opportunity to set up scheduled network operation including password rotation for portal identification network primary connection
- Providing Enterprise authorization with traffic encryption. Identification can be performed with a login/password or with an integrated TLS certificate
- Possibility of "portal" user roaming between access points and user id keeping between sessions
- Providing a graphical provider console for management and monitoring system
- Possibility of deploying a supervisory-level system which means that some settings and monitoring functions can be transferred from a provider to a client in accordance with B2B
- Providing provider's enterprise clients with B2B Admin Panel graphical interface that comprises basic elements for obtaining network operation statistics and tools for Wi-Fi users' accounts management
- Providing enterprise clients with guest portal setting GUI (in accordance with B2B) that includes basic elements for design, identification options and other features
- Providing service interface (Northbound) for system settings automatization and connection with the provider's or its B2B clients' OSS
Main SoftWLC modules and their functions
- EMS server
- management and monitoring of other modules of the system
- receiving and processing of SNMP traps sent by system components
- device initialization and configuration
- performing group operations with devices
- notification on failures
- scheduled monitors to control system operation
- providing graphical user interface
- monitoring with saving data to a Round-Robin Database
- WEB portal
- A module providing a set of WEB portals for user authorization in Hotspot networks
- Portal Constructor
- A tool that allows virtual portal creating and configuring for user authorization in Hotspot networks
- B2B Admin Panel
- providing interface for Wi-Fi users' accounts creation and basic service management operations
- Database
- Mysql
- MongoDB
- RADIUS server
- AAA operations
- WPA-enterprise authorization
- DHCP Server
- assigning primary (external) IP addresses to access points with option 43 (suboptions 11 and 12) that allows creating GRE tunnels to ESR
- assigning secondary (management, tunnel) IP addresses to access points with option 43 (suboptions 10 and 13) for access point management, detection and automatic initialization
- assigning IP addresses to Wi-Fi users connected to access points
- classification of DHCP clients by 82, 60 options and giAddr Field
- APB service
- roaming for users authorized via WEB portal
- configuration and transmission of public IP address lists for portal authorization
- Auth Service
- system authentication and authorization
- B2B Admin Panel
- Portal Constructor
- system authentication and authorization
- Notification Gateway
- centralized interchange between platform elements and external systems (SMS gateways, Call centers and electronic mail servers) via SMTP, SMPP, HTTP, WebSocket
- PCRF
- authorization and authentication of users connected via BRAS (the mechanism allows providing user service based on third-party vendors' access points)
- accounting accumulation for all authorization mechanisms and transferring it to a database
- controlling the number of Wi-Fi users' simultaneous sessions for all authorization mechanisms
- deauthentication of Wi-Fi users authorized via WPA-enterprise modes and BRAS
- NBI
- connection between SoftWLC components via the SOAP protocol
- service operation maintenance
- Customer Cab
- Portal Constructor
- PCRF
- TLS authorizaton certificates issuing
SoftWLC technologies:
- equipment management and monitoring
- SNMP
- ICMP
- user authorization
- portal authorization on Eltex access points
- EAP authorization (WPA2 enterprise) on the RADIUS server
- portal authorization on third- party access points (BRAS + PCRF)
- Roaming
- portal user roaming on Eltex access points
- Integration with external systems
- SMS gateways
- SMSC gateway
- PTK gateway
- Sviazbank gateway
- Svyaznoy Zagruzka
- SevenSky
- GSM gateways (NetPing SMS)
- Active Directory
- Hot-WiFi
- ЕSIА
- SMS gateways
Compliance of used technologies (protocols) with standards and specifications:
- EAP (WPA2)
- IEEE 802.11i ( Wi-Fi Protected Access II, defines security mechanisms for wireless networks)
- AES (encryption standard)
- RFC 3748
- SNMP
- defined as a component of TCP/IP by the IETF
- RFC 1157
- ICMP
- is an Internet standard (included in the STD 5 standard)
- RFC 792
- RADIUS
- RFC 2866 RADIUS Accounting
- RRM
- IEEE 802.11h - Transmit power control and dynamic frequency selection for wireless local area networks
- IEEE 802.11k - RRM for wireless local area networks
- SMTP
- RFC 5321
- HTTP
- RFC 2616
- WebSocket
- RFC 6455
- Roaming is carried out in accordance with IEEE 802.11r standard
System requirements for the SoftWLC server
- Ubuntu Server 16.04 LTS operating system
The number of devices | HP Proliant | CPU core, Xeon | RAM, Gb | HDD |
---|---|---|---|---|
up to 50 AP | DL20 | 4, E3-1240v5, 8M Cache, 3.50 GHz | 8 | 2x500G |
from 50 to 200 AP | DL60 | 6, E5-2603v3, 15M Cache, 1.60 GHz | 16 | 2x500G |
from 200 to 500 AP | DL160 | 8, E5-2630v3, 20M Cache, 2.40 GHz | 32 | 2x1T |
from 500 to 1 thousand AP | DL160 | 8, E5-2630v3, 20M Cache, 2.40 GHz | 64 | 2x1T |
Minimum requirements for a system operator's work station
Dual core processor with 2.5 GHz or more frequency
Random access memory size 4 GB or more
Monitor resolution 1920x1080 or more
Stable server connection, recommended speed 10Mbit/s or more
Keyboard, mouse
java jre 1.8 (with relevant updates)
Chrome or Firefox browser (with relevant updates)